Aralia elata

[AndyC]

I picked this up this afternoon for a fiver from a private seller. It is well established in a 10L pot so I'm quite chuffed with my bargain.

I know it suckers like crazy but are they easy to remove or should it be contained?

[conrad]

Andy mine grows like the clappers but as yet (this must be its fourth year in the ground) suckers aren't a problem. Two came up inches from the main trunk but may have been from below ground dormant buds and another appeared about 12" away but so far that's it.
I like to thin a few branches from the crown a bit each year so that it doesn't completely shade out the area below.

[AndyC]

Thanks Conrad. I want to plant it in the middle of an island bed so I'd rather it went up than sideways but from your experience it doesn't sound like it will be too much of a problem. I was looking online at the prices of the variegated forms and some of them are crazy money, Urban Jungle have one for £140 :shock:

[conrad]

Hopefully yours is as well behaved as mine has (so far) been.

I was lucky enough to pick up a variegated one in an end of year clearance sale a while back, it may have been £10. :mrgreen: